Hector joined May 13, 2009

Well this were 3 really tough series, where combat is pretty hard, the story line is weird and the mapping is mostly bad, really narrow spaces weird textures, dark maps, but overall it had some fun in that combat and custom weapons like the AK47 in mission 2 and custom weapons in mission 3 worth to play this one.

Obviously this was from 2000, so we're talking about early days in mapping, so don't you expect anything perfect.

This mod, feels great. I mean is one of its kind, is maybe only of the few that based on HL1 are trying to recreate a HL2 mod, a HL2 environment and that's so unique, so far I know no one have try to do something like that, as remember, in fact only another map work contains HL2 material.

Though some maps were narrow the combat is OK, and the whole objective is placed nice, also when you are in the citadel building the atmosphere in there really feels like the ones we found in HL2 maps and mods, related to CMB architecture.

Overall this is a nice mod for HL1 you should try, but if you are trying to found perfection then this one is not for you, this is for people who really love HL spirit and environment, and appreciate the concept of HL1 to recreate the spaces of HL2.

OK, so I can see now why some people say this mod is a HL1 classic. Because, back then in 1999 one year after HL1 was released, I guess this mod sure it was impressive. With a coherent story involving Gordon having to achieve an epic goal and the whole combat against grunts and xenians, and also some puzzles along the way, this mod sure blew the minds of many gamers whose desires for more HL1 maps were big.Now its been 13 years after and to me it doesn’t look great, actually I had terrible troubles to find the crowbar at first place, sure or maybe it was my mistake and I didn’t see it in the first maps at all, I just found a glock which it was practically useless due to the amount of enemies you have to deal with at the first steps.Also I believe the whole map design sometimes feels boxy, and some areas are just too narrow, so it felt that after some years of HL mapping some mods were definitely better than this one, compare “smart decoy” to this one and you see what I mean, the former is an almost perfect HL1 map, or kind of closest to the HL1 perfection in map development terms, also the celebrated Adam Foster’s “Some Place Else” a prequel to “Minerva” was also between the really well done maps for HL1.The previous doesn’t quit credit in this mod, because it was one of the first in HL1 mod universe back then when Planethalflife or Halflifefiles were the big and almost unique HL1 dedicated mod spaces. Also the coherent story tell of the mod and some clever combat parts make this mod worth to be played.

Again, Chris Ameyugo, AKA: Kasperg, surprises us with an outstanding and almost perfect (because no maps can actually emulate reality, but this work is pretty close to it indeed)map and texture work, in this re-launch of one of his famous maps inspired in the famous falling water house.
Overall a great experience, is pretty close to a cool 3D museum experience, and actually in gameplay terms, we found some clever puzzles involving music and some exploration, also the dark humor touches are perfectly fit into the mod if you are curious enough to find it out.
The architecture design of the house and the environment and atmospheric feeling is there, the natural sounds are so real and those careful details are just a plus and the difference between bad and just good, outstanding mapping.
Now, the only bad points I see in this map, is that there's absolutely not combat in this kind of maps, and I know that's not the goal or the purpose of the mod, but I just can't stop imagine how it would be to see a great combat scenario or combat HL2 mission in that cool map!!, it would be just TERRIFIC, killing some Hunters, some Elite Overmatch units and maybe a heli or a gunship would be just great!! I'd love to see Kasperg putting some combat action into this map, and maybe a little story, like trying to murder Breen on his woods residence... you know that would be really AWESOME.
But despite my imagination this map worth a million and I'd say is now a classic into the Kasperg's maps and mods repertory.

Well, I have no doubts about the technical high quality standards of this
mod. Is it clear that this map was neat and polished overall.
Now, I believe this is the kind of mod some will hate or some will love.
Also is hard to fit it in a certain category, though I think is clear this map
is close to the puzzle category.
Also is it clear that the challenge is really tough I just couldn’t end it without god mode, and that
got me a bit annoyed, it was that maybe there were just too much headcrabs, I mean more than
the necessary to beat the map right, or I am a terrible player with just few weapons that you
have to use far more than “strategically”…
I have to say I was unable to find the 5th lambda sign, maybe in my pc didn’t appear, I even
look for it via noclip and none “nada” just nothing, non a sign of the freakin 5th lambda
appeared.
In conclusion, if you love challenge maps or mods like Training Course 2, you’re gonna love this.
For me was just a really tough and annoying map to play… maybe I was not in the mood, or is
just not my kind of map.
PD. I love the Easter egg I hope HL op. Sirocco is the one of the mods I like good old fashioned
HL1 pure combat.

Well, first I have to say, Kasperg is a really versatile Modder, if you see all his portfolio of HL1,2 maps and mods, you’ll see what I mean.

Now I know this little cool mod was launched back in 2007, so is natural that some recommendation just don’t place this in better places. But my recommendation just wants to stand out that this is a pretty nice mod from Kasperg made for HL1, is the natural enhancing and improvement of the “vilcabamba” map, and here we have a coherent story nicely told inside the mod, with a great pre-Columbian architecture and textures all the way.

I also believe this kasperg’s mod deserve just more recognition that the one poor-average it has had so far, some scenes into the mod are just clever, and is a show that you don’t necessarily need lots of combat and mayhem in order to have a great mod, instead some clever puzzles and cool story.

Overall I’d say Idol Hunt feels like a classic work form a classic modder as Kasperg is, and now in 2013 I’d love to play more of his work for HL1 I hope he would be able to mod in HL1 some maps at least again, that would be pretty cool.

Well, this was a middle mod. And the Overall felling is like there was a bundle of maps with some good-ok puzzles but the whole thing just felt too much narrowed, you know there were no big spaces at all.

Also we have a mediocre and totally disappointing end, I guess that's why is called "hopelessness", but all in all the concept feels poor in here.

You know there were some pretty annoying things in this mod. Like the very poor ammo you find and then you can really get some low, low health points just because the weapons are very few, and you can even turn on the impulse 101 cheat....

I guess this mod overall deserved a better ending though is nice to have some HL1 maps to play in this days where mod production is decreasing badly.

There's a plenty of cool combat and really hard battles against the CMB and zombies, in an old fashioned Half Life2 combat scenario.

The first part of the mod is really cool done, and there's a powerful Ravenholm atmosphere all the way, then the transition through the sewers until you reach the city was a little bit empty and it was puzzling to get through that section.

And then the final battle in the city before you reach the subway, was also a total mayhem and it was really cool, though some hunters or even some striders would have come perfect in that final section.

Overall was a pretty entertaining mod, as I liked fill with tons of combat and fighting, indeed this is so inside the HL universe that the story told by the author is really irrelevant, you are again old Gordon Freeman kicking some CMB and zombies butts classic and lovely like that.

This is a great idea for a HL2 mod, Is really cool to fight in City 17 again, but overall there are many glitches in the tech design so far, that i strongly recommend the team who is developing to polish the whole mod, if it's possible to release parts 1 and 2 together in order to improve the whole quality of this mod.

If this mod release as a whole finished project and fully polish and enhanced, then it's gonna be a great deal. I just loved the ideas all arround.

I definetely loved the weapons, but in the gameplay terms, having no medkits at all and trying to emulate the autohealth dynamic as in Call of Duty game is just out of the limits!, i mean is still HL2, so please stick to the clasic way to heal the damage in it!!

I agree with those who say this mod definetly still needs a lot of work to do, but if they polish it then i'd think its gonna be more than worthy.

And well if you Mr. Developer ever enhacne this mod please provide the player with a FLASHLIGHT!!! because many parts are just dark-black as heck!!, and also add some close caption feature in order to be able to read the dialogues.

Finally do i recommend to play it?? hell yes maybe to play it latter fits well, but play it as is a good concept to develop in the right done way!!

This is a great add-on for the terrific Black Mesa Mod. I mean, this was the propper way to release the mod, so if you haven't play the surface tenssion part with this maps I strongly recommend you to do it, just download the maps and set them up in your BM mod.

The best of it is that the quality of the whole plus maps are as best as the whole BM mod release, you don't loose a bit of quality and the seameless transitions betwen maps just make this add-on perfect.

The whole maps improoves the whole BM mod and extend the gameplay, and also add so much more entretainment value to the whole project.

This enhancement is great you just try it and won't regret it.

Finally I hope Mr. Author to enhance the "On a Rail" section i think he is aiming to improove it as well.